What is claimed is:
1. A fluid connector for sealing an interface between first and second fluid passages in a plasma processing apparatus, said fluid connector comprising:
a first end member having a first geometry, the first geometry being arranged to substantially seal a first mating region of the first fluid passage;
a second end member having a second geometry, the second geometry being arranged to substantially seal a second mating region of the second fluid passage, the second geometry being configured differently than the first geometry; and
an opening that extends through said first end member and said second end member through which a fluid may pass for use by the semiconductor processing apparatus so as to fluidly couple the first fluid passage to the second fluid passage.
2. A fluid connector of claim 1, wherein the first geometry has a conventional shape and the second geometry has a non-conventional shape.
3. A fluid connector of claim 2, wherein the conventional shape is a circle and the non-conventional shape is a slot.
4. A fluid connector of claim 1, wherein the first geometry has a non-conventional shape and the second geometry has a non-conventional shape.
5. A fluid connector of claim 1, wherein said fluid connector is formed from a deformable material that can substantially seal an interface between said first end member and the first fluid passage.
6. A fluid connector of claim 1, wherein the plasma processing apparatus provides a plasma environment, and wherein said connector is formed from a material that can substantially withstand the plasma environment provided by the plasma processing apparatus.
7. A fluid connector of claim 6, wherein the material is deformable.
8. A fluid connector of claim 7, wherein the material is polytetraflouroethylene.
9. A fluid connector of claim 7, wherein the material is polyetheretherketone.
10. A fluid connector of claim 1, wherein said fluid connector is configured to hold a seal, said seal being configured to further seal an interface between said first end member and said first fluid passage.
11. A fluid connector of claim 10, wherein said seal is an o-ring.
12. A fluid connector of claim 10, wherein said seal is placed around an outer periphery of the said first end member.
13. A fluid connector of claim 5, wherein the seal is placed on a distal end of said first end member.
14. A system for sealing an interface between at least two fluid passages, said system comprising:
a first surface including a first fluid passage, the first fluid passage having a first geometry;
a second surface including a second fluid passage, the second fluid passage having a second geometry, the second geometry being different from the first geometry of the first fluid passage; and
a connector for sealing the first fluid passage with the second fluid passage, said connector including a proximal section and a distal section, the proximal section being configured to at least partially extend into the first fluid passage and having a shape that coincides with the first geometry such that said connector is substantially sealed with respect to the first fluid passage, the distal section being configured to at least partially extend into the second fluid passage and having a shape that coincides with the second geometry such that said connector is substantially sealed with respect to the second fluid passage, and said connector including an opening that provides a sealed fluid passage between the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage.
15. A system of claim 14, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage are vacuum passages.
16. A system of claim 14, wherein the first fluid passage is coupled to a manometer.
17. A system of claim 16, wherein the second fluid passage is coupled to a process chamber.
18. A system of claim 14, wherein the second geometry is a different shape than the first geometry.
19. A system of claim 14, wherein the first geometry is a circular shape and the second geometry is an oval shape.
20. A system of claim 14, wherein the first geometry is a circular shape and the second geometry is a slot.
21. A system of claim 14, wherein the connector is formed from a material that can substantially seal an interface between said connector and the first fluid passage.
22. A system of claim 14, wherein said connector is formed from a material that can substantially withstand a plasma environment provided by a plasma processing apparatus.
23. A system of claim 22, wherein the material is polytetraflouroethylene.
24. A system of claim 22, wherein the material is polyetheretherketone.
25. A system of claim 14, wherein said connector is configured to hold a seal, said seal being configured to further seal an interface between said first end member and said first fluid passage.
26. A system of claim 25, wherein said seal is an o-ring.
27. A system of claim 25, wherein said seal is placed around an outer periphery of the said first end member.
28. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber associated with a first fluid passage;
a manometer associated with a second fluid passage; and
an interconnection sealer for sealing an interface between the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage, said interconnection sealer including:
a first end member having a first geometry, the first geometry being arranged to substantially seal a first mating region of the first fluid passage;
a second end member having a second geometry, the second geometry being arranged to substantially seal a second mating region of the second fluid passage, the second geometry being configured differently than the first geometry; and
an opening that extends through said first end member and said second end member through which a fluid may pass so as to fluidly couple the first fluid passage to the second fluid passage.
29. A method of sealing fluid passages of different shapes, said method comprising:
identifying a first surface including a first fluid passage, the fluid passage having a first geometry;
identifying a second surface including a second fluid passage, the second fluid passage having a second geometry, the second geometry being different from the first geometry;
fitting an interconnection sealer for use with the first fluid passage and second fluid passage, the interconnection sealer including a proximal section and a distal section, the proximal section being configured to at least partially extend into the first fluid passage and having a shape that coincides with the first geometry such that the interconnection sealer is substantially sealed with respect to the first fluid passage, the distal section being configured to at least partially extend into the second fluid passage and having a shape that coincides with the second geometry such that the interconnection sealer is substantially sealed with respect to the second fluid passage, and the interconnection sealer including an opening that provides a fluid passage;
inserting the interconnection sealer into the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage; and
substantially sealing the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage with the interconnection sealer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. (canceled)
2. A method to be performed using a mobile device and a non-transitory application with executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device, the method, comprising:
receiving, using the mobile device and the application to be executed by the mobile device, digital transmissions through a long-range network into the mobile device, wherein receiving digital transmissions through the long-range network includes receiving digital transmissions through a wireless cellular network, and
programming, using the mobile device and application to be executed by the mobile device a hearing aid through a wireless short-range communication link that is configured to be worn in or near an ear of a hearing-impaired patient, the hearing aid including:
a microphone to pick up sound and produce an audio signal;
a processing system to process the audio signal from the microphone into a processed signal tailored to fit the hearing-impaired patient; and
a speaker to convert the processed signal into an output audio signal and present the output audio signal to the hearing-impaired patient,
wherein programming includes using digital data within the received digital transmissions to program the processing system of the hearing aid to fit the hearing-impaired patient.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the mobile device and the application to be executed by the mobile device to access an Internet connection through the wireless cellular network and to communicate with a server through the cellular network and through the Internet connection to use Internet communication to communicate with the server.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving digital transmissions through the wireless cellular network includes receiving packets of digital data.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving digital transmissions through the wireless cellular network includes receiving packets of digital audio data.9
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-transitory application with executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device includes a downloaded application that is downloaded by the mobile device through the wireless cellular network
7. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the mobile device and the application to:
communicate with a programming fitting server through the wireless cellular network;
send aural responses of the hearing aid patient to the programming fitting server;
retrieve from the programming fitting server audiological parameters for the hearing aid device that fit the hearing-impaired patient; and
program the processing system of the hearing aid using the audiological parameters from the programming fitting server.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to upgrade the application over the long-range network.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to store and execute a browser.
10. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is a digital cellular telephone.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising using the digital telephone and the application to access an Internet connection through the wireless cellular network and to communicate with a server through the cellular network and through the Internet connection to use Internet communication to communicate with the server, wherein the digital telephone is configured to store and execute a browser, the method further comprising using the browser and Internet communication to access the server.
12. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless short-range communication link includes a Bluetooth digital wireless protocol.
13. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, using the mobile device and the application to be executed by the mobile device, packets of digital audio to the hearing aid.
14. A non-transitory application including executable instructions to be executed by a mobile device to:
receive, using the mobile device, digital transmissions through a wireless cellular network, and
program, using the mobile device, a hearing aid through a wireless short-range communication link, wherein the hearing aid is configured to be worn in or near an ear of a hearing-impaired patient, the hearing aid including:
a microphone to pick up sound and produce an audio signal, a processing system to process the audio signal or the digital audio into a processed signal tailored to fit the hearing-impaired patient, and a speaker to convert the processed signal into an output audio signal and present the output audio signal to the hearing-impaired patient,
wherein the application to be executed by the mobile device is configured to use digital data transmitted within the received digital transmissions to program the processing system of the prescriptive hearing aid to fit the hearing-impaired patient.
15. The non-transitory application of claim 14, the application including executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device to access an Internet connection through the wireless cellular network and communicate with a server through the cellular network and through the Internet connection to use Internet communication to communicate with the server.
16. The non-transitory application of claim 14, wherein the mobile device includes a digital cellular telephone.
17. The non-transitory application of claim 16, the application to be executed by the digital telephone to use the digital telephone to access an Internet connection through the wireless cellular network, and to use Internet communication to communicate with a server through the cellular network and through the Internet connection, wherein the digital telephone is configured to store and execute a browser.
18. The non-transitory application of claim 14, wherein the mobile device includes a digital cellular telephone configured to store and execute a browser.
19. The non-transitory application of claim 14, wherein the application is configured to be executed by the mobile device for use during a hearing aid fitting process to communicate with a programming fitting server through the wireless cellular network, send aural responses of the hearing aid patient to the programming fitting server, and retrieve from the programming fitting server programmable audiological parameters for the hearing aid device that fit the hearing-impaired patient.
20. The non-transitory application of claim 14, the application including executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device to retrieve from a server, through the wireless cellular network, patient history for the hearing-impaired patient.
21. The non-transitory application of claim 14, the application including executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device to transmit, using the mobile device, packets of digital audio.
22. The non-transitory application of claim 14, the application including executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device to transmit, using the mobile device, digital audio through a Bluetooth digital wireless protocol.
23. A system, comprising:
a hearing aid configured to be worn in or near an ear of a hearing-impaired patient, the hearing aid including a microphone to pick up sound and produce an audio signal, a processing system to process the audio signal from the microphone into a processed signal tailored to fit the hearing-impaired patient, and a speaker to convert the processed signal into an output audio signal and present the output audio signal to the hearing-impaired patient; and
a mobile device configured to:
receive digital transmissions through a wireless cellular network, and
program, using digital data within the received digital transmissions, the processing system of the hearing aid to fit the hearing-impaired patient, the mobile device to use a wireless short-range communication link to program the processing system of the hearing aid.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is a digital cellular telephone.
25. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is configured with a browser.
26. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is a digital cellular telephone configured with a browser.
27. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is configured to access an Internet connection through the wireless cellular network and to communicate with a server through the cellular network and through the Internet connection to use Internet communication to communicate with the server.
28. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless short-range communication link includes a Bluetooth digital wireless protocol.
29. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is configured to download through the wireless cellular network a non-transitory application with executable instructions to be executed by the mobile device to receive the digital transmissions and to program the processing system of the hearing aid.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with a programming fitting server through the wireless cellular network,
send aural responses of the hearing aid patient to the programming fitting server, retrieve from the programming fitting server audiological parameters for the hearing aid device that fit the hearing-impaired patient, and program the processing system of the hearing aid using the audiological parameters from the programming fitting server.